Seeking: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Ecology & Coupled Human and Natural
Systems at Harvard Forest. Application review will begin October 16, 2017.
In Brief: Seeking an exceptional post-doc to advance the Harvard Forest's Long
Term Ecological Research
(LTER<http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/research/LTER>) program and a
Coupled Natural and Human systems (CNH) project, both focused on
socio-ecological impacts of forest insects, land use, and climate change
impacts on New England forests. This is an exciting opportunity for a landscape
or macrosystems ecologist with interests in global change and coupled human and
natural systems. The research will combine empirical and simulated data across
multiple scenarios, providing novel approaches to understanding human natural
system interactions.
Work Location: The post-doc will be part of Jonathan Thompson's Lab at the
Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA.
The Position: The post-doc will conduct regional-scale analyses to understand
the consequences of forest processes and land-uses, including: insect outbreaks
and the landowner response to insects, climate change, land protection, timber
harvesting, and alternative development patterns. The incumbent will utilize
existing parameterizations of landscape simulations models (LANDIS-II-PnET,
Dinamica, land-owner systems models etc). The post-doc will collaborate with
PIs to publish results in high-impact scientific outlets and collaborate with
science communication experts to maximize the application and impact of the
research.
- We've spent several years assembling datasets, engaging with
stakeholders, and building simulation models to help us understand the
interactive effects of climate and land-use change on the New England
landscape. We are now seeking an extremely motivated post-doc to exploit these
resources by conducting novel analyses, publishing impactful papers, and
creating public-facing tools and publications. The position comes with all the
ingredients (data, resources, and support) needed for an early-career scholar
to hit the ground running and build a reputation as a leader in the fields of
ecology and sustainability science. While the general themes of the work are
dictated by the funding, the position comes with considerable autonomy to shape
the direction of the research.
- The position is closely linked to a Research Coordination Network
called Scenarios and Services for Society<https://s3rcn.org/>. The S3 RCN has
resources and relationships that will facilitate the post-doc's collaborations
with RCN scientists working throughout the region, including Harvard, Highstead
Foundation, Duke, U. of Massachusetts, The Gund Institute at the U. of Vermont,
and the U. of New Hampshire.
- The position is partially funded by an NSF CNH
grant<https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1617075> called:
"Assessing the potential for climate change and forest insects to drive
land-use regime shifts." The incumbent will collaborate closely with the
project Co-PIs including: Dave Orwig and David Foster of Harvard Forest; Marla
Lindsay and Dave Kittredge of U. of Massachusetts; Brett Butler of the U.S.
Forest Service, and Mark Borsuk of Duke U. As part of this project, we
developed a unique coupled modeling framework to mechanistically explore
ecosystem and landowner responses to forest pests and climate change. The
post-doc will use this model to compare the direct and indirect
(socially-mediated) impacts of insects and climate change on forest ecosystems.
Required Qualifications: (1) Ph.D. in forest ecology, forestry, geography, or
related field; (2) Evidence of strong scholarship, including high-impact
peer-reviewed publications; (3) Capable of conducting complex spatial analyses;
(4) Skilled at scripting within the R and/or Python; (4) Proven ability to plan
and conduct independent research projects from beginning to end. (5) A strong
interest in coupled human and natural systems
Appointment: Initial appointment of one year is renewable for additional years
based on performance. The position is available immediately, and preference
will be given to applicants who can start sooner than later. We will begin
reviewing applications on October 16, 2017.
Harvard Forest: An internationally recognized center for basic and applied
research in ecology, conservation and ecosystem studies, with 40 full-time
staff. Harvard Forest is one of 26 LTER sites across the country sponsored by
the National Science Foundation. The Forest facilities include a research and
administrative complex, 3500 acres of land, and residential buildings. The
Forest is located in Petersham, a small rural town in north central
Massachusetts about 70 miles west of Cambridge. For more information, visit
http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu<http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/>.
Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified
applicants will receive receive consideration for employment without regard to
race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national
origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other
characteristic protected by law.
Salary and benefits: Salary commensurate with experience, plus health insurance
benefits through Harvard University. Outreach/career development opportunities
will include funding for local and national meetings. To apply: Send cover
letter, CV, PDFs of relevant publications, and the names and contact info for
three references to Jonathan Thompson:
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
